Livestock Management
Ottawa and a Manitoba council funded by cattle producers and the provincial government have teamed up to promise money to create a federally licensed beef processing plant in Winnipeg. Once open, the Keystone Processors Ltd. plant could sell beef throughout Canada and abroad. The provincially licensed plant’s market is now confined to Manitoba. It would […] Read more
Livestock Management
Beef slaughter plant planned for Winnipeg
Taiwan allows bone-in beef
For more coming events, see the Community Calendar, section 0300, in the Western Producer Classifieds. TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) – Taiwan plans to reopen its markets to U.S. bone-in beef, likely sometime this month. The move would end a six-year import ban that was in place over fears of BSE and improve ties with the United […] Read more
Some plants fight chemical toxicity
New research shows some plants may be better able to rid themselves of pesticide residue than others. In 2006, Jing Quan Yu, with the Department of Horticulture at Zhejiang University in China, and his colleagues, began research to determine a method of reducing the amount of pesticide residues in crops. “Initially, we wanted to study […] Read more
Ont. hog producers look at U.K. system
DRESDEN, Ont. – Ontario pork industry leaders are urged to consider a British model as they look for a way out of the hog price crisis. Steve Thomas, who now works as an animal health products representative in Ontario, sat on the National Pork Association’s (NPA) allied industry committee in the United Kingdom as it […] Read more
China moves on pork, U.S. on chicken
WASHINGTON/HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) – China has pledged to lift its ban on U.S. pork and the United States took a step toward easing restrictions on chicken imports. The moves are part of an agreement between the two superpowers to tackle a series of trade irritants. The flurry of trade accords between China and the United […] Read more
Topequine care, bar none
DE WINTON, Alta. – One of Canada’s top Thoroughbred training and breeding centres is keeping a nose ahead of the struggling horse racing industry by offering one-of-a-kind rehabilitation services. Bar None Ranches Ltd. recently bought a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, believed to be the only one used for horses in Canada. By infusing pure oxygen into […] Read more
Audits show cull compliance
Random audits are underway to ensure those who agreed to remove breeding sows from their herds actually did so. The Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians has been contracted to conduct the audits. The 40 audits that have been completed found all farms were in compliance. The cull breeding program was a $50 million federal initiative […] Read more
Best in dairy at Westerner
RED DEER, Alta. – The Canadian dairy industry continued to showcase its strong position in the livestock world Oct. 31 with one of its largest ever showings of prime Jersey and Holstein cattle. The Westerner Dairy Showcase, held each October in Red Deer, has become a pit stop between the World Dairy Expo in Madison, […] Read more
Unique features in Alta. cattle feeder insurance
NANTON, Alta. – A cattle price insurance policy launched in Alberta in September is designed to ease some of the volatility in the beef market. “Price insurance protects you against a drop in price in Alberta,” said Emmet Hanrahan, project manager of the risk management division of Alberta Financial Services Corp., which is administering the […] Read more
Reduce stress for happy animals
Good corral design is important, but it’s only part of the recipe for good livestock handling, says one of the field’s leading experts. Temple Grandin told a recent Alberta Sheep Symposium that handling animals with a minimum amount of stress is key to their health. Numerous studies of cattle show that calm cattle gain more […] Read more
